


Telling Dreams From One Another

by thepretender501



Series: This is Just Another Night (We've had Many of Those) [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes remembers things, Dirty Talk, Fluff and Angst, Insecure Tony Stark, M/M, Not Iron Man 3 Compliant, Past Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers, Random ping pong tournament, Rimming(mention), Shower Sex, Steve is here for it, Tony Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 21:25:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepretender501/pseuds/thepretender501
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I think you should spend some time getting to know the rest of the team," Steve says. "Clint keeps asking me why I don't let you out to play more often. I'm not sure what that means but I think it means he likes you? Which is good, or would be good, if thats what it means."</p><p>In which Tony is still not okay, Steve finds jealousy to be a turn on, and the team gets together for a game of ping pong with real balls. </p><p> </p><p>CA:TWS spoilers all day!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telling Dreams From One Another

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Elainemalfoy for the beta! Any and all mistakes are my own!  
> If you read [this story](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1540949) first then this will make a little more sense. But only a little.  
> 

"My shoes are soaked, man," Sam says as Steve catches up to him again on his second lap around Central Park. "I'm headed home. I might even take a cab."

Steve slows his pace. "Okay, I'll see you there. I'm going to get one more lap in."

"One more lap? One more lap is six miles," Sam says incredulously then he lets out a breathless chuckle and waves Steve on. "Alright. Okay. I get it. You're Captain America. Go on then. See you at home."

Steve waves and finds his pace again. He could head home with Sam, the rain is coming down in sheets now, but there's something calming about the downpour and Steve feels too much adrenaline to stop himself now. He never used to like the rain. It used to make his joints ache and the water would stir up the pollen and agitate his asthma and countless other allergies. He rarely ever talks about those times. He's not exactly sure how to make others understand it but running full on as fast as he can almost to the point of exhaustion is something he will never take for granted. Rain or sunshine, as long as his legs work he's going to use them to the best of his ability.

The adrenaline rush he feels, well he's going to blame that on Tony. Tony confronted him two nights ago and revealed a hint of jealousy Steve hadn't seen coming. He's starting to see now that Tony is oddly duplicitous. What he says and does, doesn't always match up with what he thinks and feels. It's interesting and a little maddening. Steve should have been paying attention but with Bucky and Shield and Hydra--

Steve had always been straightforward but Tony had this way of affecting nonchalance that made Steve feel like, like he might lose him if he admitted that he lived for those stolen kisses. If he admitted that the consistent ache of longing for time he'd never get back was less powerful with every touch.

But he sees it now. He sees Tony so clearly.

Then there was the hint of jealousy, and that, well, Steve isn't sure what to do with that. It might be wrong to find it arousing that Tony wants him so exclusively. Since that night they'd had sex four times, each time following some mention of Bucky. And Steve wasn't doing it on purpose. It would be very wrong for him to exploit that feeling on purpose. But the things it does to Steve, knowing how much Tony desires him.

He picks up his pace as he rounds the bend, heading across 59th street towards the east side of the park. The sun is starting to lighten the clouds from twilight grey to bright grey. If he hurries he can catch Tony before he wakes up. Maybe they can grab a shower and Steve can show Tony how much he likes him.

When he arrives back at the tower he peeks into Bucky's room. Unsurprisingly, Bucky’s not there and when Steve enters his own room he sees his friend sitting next to the window, peering out at the lightening sky. "Hey, Buck." Steve closes the door gently and strips off his soaking wet t-shirt. Bucky doesn't respond and so Steve approaches him cautiously and taps his shoulder. He doesn't respond to the touch either. Steve sits across from him on the window sill.

"Bucky?"

"I had a bad dream," Bucky says, "and I know it wasn't..." Bucky stares at him, his eyes almost emoting something that Steve remembers.

He takes hold of Bucky's hand. "Tell me."

Bucky keeps looking at him. He squeezes Steve's fingers but he doesn't seem to realize he's doing it. Steve can imagine he's trying to orient himself again to time and place. "Hey." Steve closes the distance between them. "It's just me, your best pal. Tell me about your dream." Steve feels that familiar ache in the back of his throat. He doesn't want Bucky to forget him again, but what makes it more painful is that he knows Bucky doesn't want to forget him either; it's why he's often afraid to sleep at night without Steve nearby.

"Did I hurt Howard Stark? Because I know these dreams are--they're not dreams and I--"

Steve swallows back on whatever is rising in his throat. He's been sitting on that information. Natasha has too. It's easy for her because she's used to keeping secrets. Steve, on the other hand. The thought of telling Bucky and, worse, Tony is what kept him silent. Now that Bucky knows, it's only a matter of time before--  "You weren't, yourself. It's okay," Steve says, even though he doesn't feel like it will be.

"Does he know?" Bucky asks quietly.

"No, I don't think so. And he may not understand right away. I think I should be the one to tell him."

Bucky nods slowly. He doesn't break eye contact with Steve. His eyes betray nothing about what he feels, but he's squeezing Steve's hand so tightly it hurts.

"I think you should spend some time getting to know the rest of the team," Steve says. "Clint keeps asking me why I don't let you out to play more often. I'm not sure what that means but I think it means he likes you? Which is good, or would be good, if thats what it means."

Bucky begins to loosen his grip, and Steve feels some relief. It seems like Bucky remembers again where he is. "I like him too," he says.

"Oh good. Well it's raining. I'm going to shower. You can lie down in here until the others wake up."

Bucky agrees and climbs in Steve's bed. "I notice you like the rain now," he says, his eyes closed.

Steve conceals his smile, even though he knows Bucky can't see him. "Yeah, I like the rain now."

*

For the most part, Bucky seems to be adjusting to the team. He gets along best with Clint and Sam. Clint because he says Bucky is "a more badass version of you, Cap."

Natasha reminds him one morning while they stake out a suspected Hydra facility that Clint has also been made to do things he didn't want to. Clint doesn't care how long Bucky's been brainwashed, he doesn't think Bucky's worth giving up on and so Clint and Steve have that in common.

Sam is so easygoing he's likely forgiven Bucky since the day he met him. It's calming to see Bucky adjusting to the others but Steve knows it will be some time still before Bucky stops relying on Steve to keep him oriented. Natasha and Bruce remain standoffish. Natasha generally seems nervous when Bucky is around. Bruce doesn't think it's smart to put two ticking bombs in the same room. Tony seems more interested in Bucky's arm and his relationship with Steve than in Bucky himself.

Steve puts the news about Howard to the back of his mind. He wants to see Tony before Bucky wakes up and seeks him out again. He has to knock on Tony's door a few times before he's face to face with this grumpy incarnation. "Only you," Tony says as he pulls the door wider. "Only you would wake me up this early."

"I can come back later," Steve offers but Tony grabs the waistband of Steve's pants and tugs him inside.

"You're all wet," Tony points out.

"I went for a run."

"A run? Now? It's like a hurricane out there."

"I think you may be exaggerating." Steve kisses him and feels the familiar flood of adrenaline. The adrenaline that is this whole situation with Tony. Probably not adrenaline at all, probably lust or something akin to that. He's got Tony against the wall when Tony presses a hand against his chest to stop him.

"I'm confused," Tony says breathlessly.

"I'm--"

"Don't say sorry." Tony rests his head against the wall for a moment. "I just don't think I've ever been this turned on so soon after waking up."

Steve takes him in, sleep styled hair, delirious gaze, dressed in a white t-shirt that dims the glow of the arc reactor and a pair of ridiculously red silk pajama pants, where there's a bulge steadily growing more prominent.

Steve leans in, rests his arm on the wall behind Tony's head and slides his knee carefully between Tony's thighs. "I want to kiss you," he whispers into Tony's hair.

"M'kay." Tony sighs. "But I might have to..." He starts to ride slowly against Steve's leg and Steve has to brace himself to keep his knees from buckling.

"You're all wet," Tony says again. He slips a hand down the front of Steve's sweatpants, grazing his fingers against Steve's cock. "Get out of these clothes or you'll catch pneumonia."

"Let's take a shower," Steve breathes against his lips.

"Yes, okay. We can definitely do that," Tony says and with another eager kiss he escapes from the wall and and walks towards the bathroom. "JARVIS, turn the shower on. You know how I like it."

"Right, sir."

Steve doesn't wait for the water to heat up before he's sliding soapy hands over Tony's ass. His fingers fit perfectly over lingering bruises on Tony's waist and he feels a mild stab of guilt at the way it turns him on. He rubs soap idly over his own cock, thinking about all the little ways he might ruin Tony for any lover he might have after Steve. Make it so that no one else could satisfy him. Make it so that Tony can't stop coming back. And maybe Steve can see where Tony is coming from with the whole jealousy thing.

Tony grinds impatiently against him and it urges Steve out of his thoughts. He holds Tony steady and eases himself inside while Tony groans contentedly. For a minute he stays there, deep inside, and kisses bruises onto Tony's shoulder. He doesn't think he'll last, engulfed in the heat of Tony's ass, working his tongue and mouth over Tony's neck and shoulders. He is relieved when Tony shivers and begs. "Steve, Steve just fuck me, please."

It takes a minute, but Steve finds a rhythm. He's learning to gauge his strength against Tony, but it's difficult when Tony doesn't reveal a pain threshold, when Tony moves to eagerly meet his thrusts, when Tony runs his mouth, making promises he has every intention of keeping. It's so easy to lose control and just fuck him faster and harder.

Tony groans. "God, Steve, you're so good. Keep-- ah-- there so good. Wanna fuck you in bed next. Wanna open you up and put my tongue inside you and just fuck you all day long. Fuck you with my fingers and my mouth, see how much you can take before you're begging for my dick."

"Jesus Christ," Steve whispers. The words make him dizzy and he holds Tony tighter, pushes deeper. Tony's braced one hand against the glass shower wall and with the other he's getting himself off.

"God don't stop," Tony gasps. "Fuck, Steve you're such a big, big boy. Remember the way I almost choked cause I couldn't fit it all in my mouth. Remember how I wanted it so badly--and ah, fuck--I couldn't stop trying."

Steve remembers and comes almost immediately. He grabs Tony's hand, helps him touch himself and a few strokes later Tony's shuddering through the aftershocks. Steve is suddenly aware of how hot the water is and that he's shivering.

"You have such a filthy mouth," Steve says as he kisses him.

"Mm--you fucking love it."

Tony's right, Steve could get addicted to everything Tony does. He loves the way Tony's body feels, the way his hair feels tangled and wet between Steve's fingers, the way he smells. He loves doing this. He feels like he could jog another 15 miles and still not come down from this high.

*

They're toweling off when Steve remembers Bucky. "I left my clean clothes in my room," Steve says.

"Wear my clean clothes," Tony says. "Then let me take them off of you."

Steve shakes his head. "You're insatiable but I should--"

"Go get changed in front of your young, hot, superpowered, best buddy. Got it," Tony says, his tone only mildly biting. Steve feels that stir of lust that never fully died down almost wholly renewed.

"Sorry," Tony says immediately. "I'm being a selfish idiot. Go. I think I might need to sleep again anyway." He covers his face with his hands and yawns.

Steve takes hold of Tony's wrists, pulls his hands down from his face and urges him closer. "I only want you."

"Right now."

"What can I do to make you know how much I want you?"

"I believe you. I do." Tony shrugs it off so easily it's like a mask slipped into place. "Go. I'm sorry for being a dick. I don't know why I'm acting this way."

Steve takes a deep breath to stave off his sudden arousal and kisses Tony on the cheek to avoid adding fuel to the spark. "I'll be back in a bit. Let's watch a movie later."

"Yeah, sure. Also, tell him I'll need to take a mold of the arm some time before next week."

*

Over the next few days there are thunderstorms, which seem to agitate Bucky at night. Steve spends a lot of time with him to calm him down, talks to him about the old days. And Bucky listens. Every once in a while he'll contribute a memory of his own and Steve feels elated, like his friend is finally back for good. Then the nightmares come. Sometimes they don't sleep to avoid them. Sometimes Bucky wakes up fine, sometimes he wakes up as the winter soldier and it takes entirely too long for him to recognize Steve again. On those days, Steve wants to go on a rampage and burn every Hydra facility, suspected and confirmed, to the ground.

Later that week during an afternoon downpour he heads to the lab with Bucky in tow. He's not surprised when Bruce and Tony go suspiciously silent soon after they walk in. Bucky looks like he wants to turn around and walk out. After a brief hesitation, he approaches Tony's work bench. "Hi, uh--Steve said you wanted a caste of my arm."

"Oh did he?" Tony looks from Bucky to Steve, his expression unreadable. "Well, he’s right. Just wait over there a minute. Let me finish this and I'll make the mold."

"Great," Steve says. Tony stops him before he can lead Bucky to the leather couch on the other side of the lab bench. "Can I have a kiss?"

Steve meets Tony's lips for what he thinks will be a brief kiss, but Tony deepens it to the point where Steve's heart is pounding and his face is hot when they break apart. When he opens his eyes, he's not surprised to see Tony glance at Bucky as he licks his lips and walks back to his workbench.

Bucky has his arms crossed, and he's covering his mouth like he wants to say something but thinks better of it. Steve looks at Bruce but he is determinedly engrossed in his computer.

Steve sighs, a bit overwhelmed, and finds a seat on the couch. He really wishes they would get along. Bucky remains at Tony's work bench. "What are you making?"

"It's armor," Tony says.

"Hulk buster armor," Bruce chimes in.

"Really?"

"Really. What can I say? The Hulk inspires me."

Bucky reaches out to touch it and Tony shoos him. "Why can't you just wait patiently over there with Steve?"

"Tony, you said you'd be nice," Bruce says with a sigh.

"I'm being nice. I'm being so fucking nice."

"Hey, Tony, how about we come back when you're ready for us?" Steve says, just to avoid the inevitable blow up.

"No." Tony takes a deep breath. "We're okay, right?" he asks Bucky.

"Sure," Bucky says.

Steve exchanges glances with Bruce. "I'm going to start synthesizing a medication for all the stress your boyfriend's troubles cause me," Bruce says.

"What are you talking about? I cause you nothing but joy and happiness," Tony says. He beckons Bucky towards him and takes hold of the metal arm. "Take off your shirt."

Bucky lifts his t-shirt over his head without question and Tony grabs the arm again. Steve winces; he really wishes Tony wouldn't give him orders. He wishes Tony would ask before touching him. He'd talk to him about it later.

"Where does sensation start?"

Bucky touches the point between his shoulder and his collarbone. Tony slides his fingers up and down the metal. "JARVIS, run a full scan and diagnostics for Bucky Barnes, please."

"Yes, sir." The room fills with blue light and Bucky is surrounded. If he's alarmed he doesn't show it. The light forms into an electronic image of Bucky, and Tony minimizes it, turns it and focuses on the arm. Steve leans forward. He's used to watching Tony work, but he's never seen Bucky miniaturized and put into computer form.

Bucky stares for a moment before he reaches out to touch. "Shit, that's neat," he says.

"Isn't it, though? I'm fucking amazing," Tony says, with a small smile. He lets Bucky prod at the image for a minute while he turns to the computer and starts typing. "Okay, I'm uploading you in my file and I'm going to make the mould," he says.

"Okay," Bucky says as the miniature image disappears.  

"Put your shirt back on. And uh-- you can look at the rest of the Hulk buster suit over there under the tarp if you want to."

Bucky nods, fits his shirt over his head and turns to Steve.

"So uh-- do you need me here?" Steve asks them.

"I do," Bruce says from behind a computer.

"It's only gonna take a minute, Cap," Tony adds. He's searching through cabinets and pulling out chemicals. Bucky wanders over to the blue tarp covering the massive chest piece for Tony's new armor and Steve follows him. Bucky yanks the tarp off and runs his hand over the ruby painted, stainless steel chest cavity.

"This reminds me of that time you and me went driving, remember that?"

Steve grins. They'd only been driving one time. "Of course, I remember that. You were dating that rich girl, Maggie. And she let us borrow her daddy's hot rod to go to the movies. I think the car was the same shade of red."

Bucky nods. "We both fell asleep before the second feature started. And when we got back, her dad was home and he yelled at us for so long."

"Jesus, yeah. She was a mess over you but he wouldn't let you go near her after that," Steve says, laughing.

"I loved that night," Bucky says. "Everything but the yelling."

"You're the youngest guys in the room but somehow when you talk I feel like I'm listening to my Great Aunt Phyllis and her sister in law," Bruce says with a chuckle.

"Well that's reasonable. We're talking about something that happened in, was it, 1938?" Steve says.

Bucky frowns. "I don't remember."

"I'm telling you, Steve is one of the oldest almost thirty year olds that I've ever met," Tony chimes in. "Like that time you went on Youtube after you heard Clint listening to Britney Spears. I was like, amazing, Cap's on Youtube, and then all we heard for the rest of the day was Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong and other music that’s a hundred years old on repeat."  

"But you also asked me to name some of those songs and they are now on your iPod," Steve points out.

"Actually, that's not surprising," Bruce says. "I think the thing we now need to discuss is why Clint felt the need to listen to Britney Spears on Youtube."

Tony waves his hand nonchalantly. "Clint loves Britney Spears. He likes to respond to most of my questions with 'because it's Britney bitch.'"

Bruce laughs. "What the fuck?"

"I know, and he polishes his arrows while singing along to 'my loneliness is killing me.' It makes me feel sad, but also amused."

Steve turns back to Bucky, and they share a smile that says they have no idea what Bruce and Tony are talking about and they don't mind it one bit.

"Am I allowed to tell him not to hurt you or he'll have me to deal with?" Bucky asks Steve; he seems incredibly lucid today.

"He won't."

"I know but just as a formality, you know?"

Steve bites his lip. He's anxious to make this thing between Bucky and Tony work, but he knows, if there's any chance, he'll have to relinquish some of his control over the relationship.

"I'm ready for you, Bucky," Tony calls.

"Sure, tell him. Whenever you're ready," Steve says.

*

Steve holds out hope that Tony and Bucky will bond over Bucky's arm. They seem to function better together when Steve isn't in the room. One evening after they finish sparring, Steve reminds Tony to be careful how he treats him, to be aware of what he says and how he says it, and maybe to avoid giving orders.

Tony agrees but then lies down on the gym mat and sighs, sounding exhausted. "Can I ask you a really personal question?"

"All you ever do is ask me personal questions," Steve says but he sits down next to Tony anyway.

" I know, but you might take this wrong if I ask without preparing you."

"Just ask."

Tony sighs and pushes himself up on his elbows . "You said you and Bucky fuck-- were intimate before. And you also said that you hadn't fucked anybody else in your new body. So when you guys were uh-- intimate that means you were a smaller guy?"

Steve knew he'd face this type of question at some point. "Yeah. We were teenagers then," he says. "He was 18 and I was 19. I'd had a crush on him forever and he always knew it but it was different then and you couldn't just act on those things. You had to have a girl, unless you were me. No one ever asked me why I didn't have a girl."

"So why did you act on them?"

"It was raining." Steve shrugs. "His sweetheart had just broken things off with him. It was the anniversary of my mom’s death. We were feeling sorry for ourselves. He kissed me and it escalated from there."

Tony cocks his head to the side. "How many times did you guys--fuck?"

The question is as loaded as walking through a minefield and Steve feels as uneasy navigating it. "This is a really bad idea, Tony. It was so long ago."

"Not for you, though," Tony pushes. "And I promise you're just helping me work through this so I don't have to keep seeing him as competition."

Steve sighs. "Even for me it was nearly ten years ago. But we did it quite a lot. Does that help?"

"I'm an engineer," Tony says. "I need numbers. More than 50 times, less than 100?"

"I didn't keep count, but I don't think it was more than 50."

"Okay so why did you guys end it? And how do I know you're not going to start again?"

"It ended when it ended. We just stopped, didn't think about it again. It wasn't dramatic or anything. I was over my crush and after that, I think, he didn't feel like he needed to protect me from seeking it out from the wrong guy and ending up in trouble. Like the kind of trouble you could go to jail for."

"You said you loved him," Tony says.

"I did. I said I did love him. I still love him but not like that anymore."

"Did he love you?"

Steve isn't sure what to say. Bucky did better with the ladies than Steve did. For a long time Steve thought he'd never meet a girl he really wanted to kiss. The first woman Steve could remember that he genuinely wanted to kiss and touch and even marry was Peggy. Now that he thought about it she was the only woman he ever felt that way about. Bucky fell in love often, broke tons of hearts and had his own broken lots of times. As far as Steve can remember, he's the only guy Bucky had ever been intimate with. But if Bucky was bisexual, he probably just suppressed it at the time. "I don't know," Steve says. "Like I said, we never talked about it. We just did it and then pretended like we weren't doing it. Except at night when he held me and..."

Tony's lips are pursed and there's a pinched expression on his face. Steve slides a hand under Tony's t-shirt and leans over to kiss him. "I get why you want to know, but isn't this just making things worse?"

"No," Tony snaps and then he looks away. "A little. Wasn't he your first?"

"You really are fishing, aren't you? Tell me about your first time and I'll tell you about mine."

Tony snorts. "I never slept with my best friend. I may have tried to but that was out of drunken confusion. I know It sounds silly but I still see him as a threat. And you've slept with him and you're sleeping with him now, albeit not naked, at least I hope not. And you're fucking me and I just can't help thinking-- do you know what a fluffer is?"

"Some type of dress?"

"So in porn, a fluffer is someone who goes around making sure all the guys stay hard between filming takes. And I feel like Bucky is your fluffer. He's keeping you hard and you're fucking me."

Steve has his eyebrows raised so high he knows he must look cartoonish. "Okay, that's a nice theory. You want the truth now?"

"Sure, prove me wrong."

Steve takes a deep breath. "I don't think you're an ass. You're right. I'm sleeping with him, fully clothed, and that's not ideal especially given what you know of our history. But I swear the only thing keeping me hard is you. I could run a thousand miles and still not be too tired to get it up for you. And the only ass in this room is me. Because the way you act when you're jealous and you get possessive when I mention him that's what turns me on. It makes me want to fuck you until insecurity is the last thing you feel. Makes me want to fuck you until you can't imagine for a second I could possibly find the energy to worship another person’s body as thoroughly as I do yours."

Tony's chewing on his lower lip, breathing noticeably heavier and Steve can see the beginnings of a faint flush in his cheeks. "You don't normally swear," he says quietly.

"Well, you don't normally call my best friend a fluffer so..." Steve shrugs.

"You've been turned on because I'm-- because I'm jealous?" Tony stamers, and it's adorably uncharacteristic.

"I didn't want to tell you because I'm not proud of it. But it's like every time I mention Bucky you either disappear on me or you get aggressive and I feel like--like I can't help myself. I mean this whole issue with Bucky is the reason I figured out how much you liked me in the first place."

"Oh god." Tony laughs and lays back on the mat. "Jesus fucking christ, Steve. If you keep talking to me the way you just talked to me I don't think I'll survive a relationship with you."

The gym door opens and Natasha walks in, followed by Sam and Clint. "Aha, there you two are. I knew you guys wouldn't forget about the ping pong tournament," she says. "You're even here early." She sits down next to Steve as Clint and Sam go to lift the table out from against the wall.

"Ping pong, right. That is so what I want to be doing right now." Tony groans and covers his face with his arms. And really, it's lucky they all came in at the time they did. A couple minutes later and Steve would've had Tony undressed.

"Get excited," Natasha says. "Because until we're all getting laid as a team none of us are. Am I right, team?"

"Not my team," Tony says.

"Yeah Nat, you weren't supposed to share that part with them." Clint stops in front of Tony and nudges his foot. Tony peers up at him from beneath his forearm. "Thor and Steve and Tony are off of the team."

"Where's Bucky?" Sam asks "He said he'd play ping pong with us. As long as it wasn't on the Wii. He hates the Wii."

"I don't know where he is, actually," Steve says. This is all news to him. Maybe he's been too focused on Tony and Bucky, but he can't remember any mention of a ping pong tournament.

"Bucky has a point though: the Wii is okay when you're alone but when you're playing against someone, there's nothing like the feeling of real balls," Clint says.

"I'm not even gonna touch that one," Sam says and Natasha laughs.  

"Hey, shut up." Clint bristles. "Whatever, Tony knows what I mean."

"Idiot." Tony reaches a hand out to Clint. "Help me up. I'm going to die; Cap wrecked me."

"Aww come on." Clint helps him to his feet. "It's bad enough that you're getting laid, you don't have to rub it in our faces too."

"You know, for once, I wasn't being dirty," Tony says.

"Notice he says for once," Natasha says, glancing at Clint.

Steve gets up too and wrings his fingers; he hopes Bucky will come. He thinks maybe he should go get him but he's relieved when the gym door opens again and Bucky walks in with Bruce.

"How this should work is that everybody lets the competitive guy who turns into a raging green monster and the government assassin win." Bruce is holding several boxes of pizza and Bucky has a case of coke.They set them down on the table and the whole team gravitates toward the food.

"By the way, when we play, I'm on Bruce's team," Tony says.

Steve curls his arm around Tony's waist. "You mean you're on my team."

"Actually, on Steve's team." Tony turns and kisses him.

"I'm on the team that wins," Sam says.

"Oh you must mean my team?" Clint grins.

"Hell yeah."

"They always win on the tv game machine," Bucky informs Steve and Steve’s not surprised. He sees how much time Sam and Clint spend playing their football Madden game.

 

"It’s okay, Barnes," Natasha says, cautiously, "ping pong is different with real balls. Isn't that what you were saying, Hawkeye?"

"I don't take it back," Clint calls back through a mouthful of pizza.

"That means Nat, Bucky and I are pretty much going to destroy you all," Bruce says and it's followed by a chorus of protests. Steve smiles as he realizes this is the first time they've all been together with Bucky there.

Everyone seems content, eating and sharing stories. Bucky's smile seems a little more authentic today. And Tony isn't entirely warm but he's not coiled up and tense like Steve might up and leave him for Bucky at any moment. And sure, one day Steve will have to tell Tony about Bucky and his dad. He may be overly optimistic, but he thinks on that day Tony and Bucky will like each other enough that Tony won't take it personally. And when he does take it personally, Steve will be there and he'll manage. Like he always does. But if this is his future, playing house with Tony and  a team of superhero misfits, then maybe the future's not so bad. Not bad at all.

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't normally write sequels but I like to make exceptions when I'm in the middle of finals week in my last year of grad school. ;_;
> 
> Title: Daniel in the Den by Bastille


End file.
